President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday asked all members of his cabinet seeking elective office to resign on or before May 16, 2022.
Tolu Ogunlesi, an aide to the president, disclosed this in a tweet on Wednesday.
“Just in: All members of President Buhari’s cabinet vying for public office will have to resign on or before May 16, 2022,” he tweeted.
Ministers with political ambitions
Presidential race
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya
The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba
The Minister of Petroleum (State), Timipre Sylva.
Other political ambitions
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, who is vying for the Kebbi governor seat.
The Minister of State Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar, who is running for the governorship position in Abia State.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, who declared her ambition to contest for a senatorial seat in Plateau State.
Buhari’s directive is coming on the heels of the contentious section 84(12) of the electoral act.
The section provides that: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”
BizWatch Nigeria had reported that the appeal court on Wednesday declared section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as unconstitutional.
